The First 21 Years of Grey Bergman
by LBIGreyhound13
Summary: You've met Grey when she joined the Rebellion at the age of 21. Now, you will get to watch her grow up before her days in the Grounded Dungeon Rebellion starting from the day she was born up until she decides to leave home to join the Rebellion.
1. Grey's Birth

**Author's Note:** Hello, readers! Congratulations, you have clicked on my newest oneshot series: _The First 21 Years of Grey Bergman_! Obviously, my fellow RPers on Tumblr know who this is, but for those who don't, allow me to explain.

See, about three years ago, after _How to Train Your Dragon 2_ was released, there was a lot of commotion in the HTTYD fandom regarding that scene that involved Hiccup's father dying. There were people going around creating "dead!Stoick" jokes, and most people responded by saying that the people who made these jokes were to be "sent to a dungeon." Obviously this was all in good fun, but eventually, long story short, thanks to what was meant to be a prank, this led to start of a Tumblr roleplay know as "Battle of the Grounded Dungeon."

As I mention in my profile, BOTGD is a Tumblr-based roleplay game loosely based on the _How to Train Your Dragon_ universe, and my OC was a 21-year-old girl named Grey Bergman, who joins the Rebellion that takes place throughout the story, owns a Night Fury, named Shadow, and eventually becomes the second-in-command of the Rebellion. She was my very first OC, and I just loved her so much that I went above and beyond developing her character in the story, her story after the RP storyline ends, and her backstory.

And this is the result of her backstory! This is a oneshot series I had been meaning to work on for a long time! Since Grey is 21 years old in the RP, this series will only be 21 chapters representing an event from each year starting from the day she was born all the way up to the day before she leaves for the Rebellion.

As you probably figured, this first chapter is the day Grey is born! I wrote this chapter based on the information from a Tumblr user dyannehs, who is very knowledgeable on Viking culture. The information can be found under "Birth" under "Posts on Viking Culture."

 **Disclaimer: I only own Grey Bergman, her parents, the Chief, and other secondary characters. I do NOT own anything related to the** _ **How to Train Your Dragon**_ **franchise.**

* * *

Chapter 1—Grey's Birth (January 10, 1024)

Off the coast of the Wilderwest region of the continent of Aidorin, there stood a small group of islands, and a small tribe, known as the Haligan Tribe. The Haligan Tribe had inhibited this small island for four years after they were forced to retreat from their original location on the mainland after it was since that awful day, the tribe, led by Chief Hroar, a wise and benevolent leader, had been living peacefully on their new home, Haligan Island. However, the chief wasn't too focused on leading the village at the moment on this particular day. Not only was it because of a snowstorm raging outside restraining him to his dear friends' house, but it was also because he needed to be there for his best friend and general, Sven Bergman and his wife Ingrid.

Hroar stood next to the door leading into Sven and Ingrid's bedroom in the Bergman household listening to Ingrid's ear-piercing screams coming from behind the wooden door. He could somehow make out one of the midwives and Sven telling Ingrid to push despite her screams, and the louder they got, the more nervous the Chief became. Hroar wanted more than anything to help said friend's wife, but he didn't think that was going to help. If there was one thing he knew about Sven due to their lifelong friendship, it was that he loved Ingrid more than anything, and he was no doubt in there worrying about not just one life…but _two_ lives as he continued to support his wife during the childbirth and to wait for their first-born child. The Chief stepped away from the door and removed his helmet placing it on his chest.

"Odin, Hel, all gods above," he prayed, "please watch over Ingrid and the baby. Please, keep them both safe."

* * *

Ingrid let out another scream as she tried again to push. Never in her life had she experienced so much pain, and she silently begged for it to stop as she leaned back against her husband's chest behind her breathing heavily. However, the pain refused to go away and persisted.

"You're doing great, Ingrid," a midwife exclaimed from the end of the bed, "but I need you to keep pushing!"

"I'm sorry! I can't!" Ingrid shouted as another midwife wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Make it stop!" Tears flowed down her cheeks. "I can't take it anymore! I can't do this!"

"Yes, you can, Ingrid!" Sven cried as he hugged his wife from where he sat on the bed behind her. His heart broke seeing the tears trailing down her cheeks mixing with the sweat on her cheeks. He wanted more than ever to get this baby out for her, but he knew that it was wishful thinking. He could only watch and try to support his wife as she went through the pains of childbirth. "You can do it, and you will! You're almost there!"

"Okay!" she shouted in reply. No one really had time to question her sudden change of heart as she continued to push.

However, for Ingrid, the fact that her husband was telling her that it was going to be over soon was more than enough for her. She had to keep going…to keep pushing if she wanted the pain to go away and to see her baby. She closed her eyes tightly as she gripped her husband's hands as tightly as she could, trying her hardest to focus on being in his strong protective arms. She then continued to scream and to push.

"Keep going! Keep going!" the first midwife cried. "I can see the head! Keep pushing!"

"You're almost there!" the second midwife said continuing to wipe the sweat from her brow.

"Come on, my dear!" Sven cried before kissing her on the top of her head. "You can do it! The baby's almost here!"

Ingrid nodded as she kept her eyes screwed shut, took another deep breath, and let out one last scream and one last push. Next thing she knew, she heard something.

"It's a girl!" the first midwife exclaimed as she took the wailing newborn into her arms.

Ingrid let out a huge breath and plopped herself against her husband's chest behind her breathing heavily as soon as she heard the midwife proclaim the gender of the baby. Within seconds, the baby's crying was the only sound that rang in the bedroom proving to Ingrid that this wasn't a dream. She had just given birth to her and Sven's first-born child…a baby girl, and from the sound of her cries, she sounded healthy. The new mother silently laughed as she tried to get a look at the new baby, but unfortunately, the midwife, who held the baby, had her back to them blocking their view as she stood at the desk across the room with a basin of water beside her.

"Sven…where is she? Where's my baby?" she asked near tears as the other midwives and her husband gently began to guide her out of bed.

"Shhh…it's alright, my love," Sven replied gently before kissing her head. "She's just getting cleaned up."

"But when can I see her?" Ingrid asked pleadingly already feeling protective over the crying newborn. "I want to see our baby."

"You will, dearie," the second midwife said in a gentle tone, "but, first, let's get you cleaned up as well, alright?"

The new mother nodded shakily as she let the midwives and her husband guide her off the bed to the bathtub that waited for her on the far side of the room.

"I'm going to go outside to talk to Hroar, alright?" Sven said to his wife as soon as she stood up. "I'll come back when you're done."

Ingrid gave her husband a small tired smile and nodded before the midwives gently guided her over to the tub. Once he was sure his wife and…his newborn daughter were both being taken care of, Sven walked outside to the main room of the house where he found the Chief of the tribe stoking the firepit.

The Chief looked up at the man and quickly stood up so that they were at eye-level silently waiting for the news.

Sven could only smile. "It's a girl," he said.

Hroar smiled and sighed in relief as he walked over and pulled Sven into a bear hug. "Congratulations, my friend. How's Ingrid?"

Sven could only sigh at first. "Tired," he replied, "but she's strong."

"Of course she is," Hroar replied patting his best friend on the shoulder. "She has you, and now your new daughter."

The new father could only chuckle at the sound of that last part of Hroar's statement. He was a father now. He shook his head as his smile widened. "I can't believe it," he said. "I'm…I'm a father, Hroar. I'm actually a _father_ now."

"I know," the Chief replied smiling at his old friend, "I couldn't be more happy for you, Sven. That baby in there has been blessed with you and Ingrid as her parents."

Sven was about to respond when someone cleared their throat behind them causing both men to turn to the doorway.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," one of the midwives said, "but we just got Ingrid settled back into bed."

Sven and Hroar knew immediately what this meant. It was time for the new mother to accept the new baby. She was about to hold their new baby for the very first time, and of course, as the father, Sven was expected to be present. It was Viking tradition going back generations that the mother held the baby first to nurse her. Not that he was complaining. He wanted so badly to see his newborn daughter, and now it was finally going to happen.

"Great," he said smiling at the midwife. He then gestured for the Chief to follow him inside the room. The midwife stepped aside to allow him to enter, and as soon as he walked in, he paused in his tracks. His eyes immediately went to his wife sitting in their bed waiting. Ingrid turned to him and smiled. Sven smiled in return as he walked over to the bed and sat down next to her wrapping his arms around her and kissing her. "I'm so proud of you, my love," he said.

Ingrid smiled wider. "I couldn't have done it without you," she said.

Sven widened his smile as well, but before he could say anything else, the midwife walked over to them with a bundle wrapped in a white blanket that squirmed and prepared to cry again in his arms.

"Sven, Ingrid, say hello…to your daughter," she said as she handed the bundle to the new parents.

Neither of the new parents said anything as Ingrid took the bundle into her arms and stared at the little face poking out of the blanket while making sure that her husband had a good view as well. The little face was still scrunched up as the baby continued to cry but slowly calmed down as she relaxed in Ingrid's comforting arms. The whole time, both Ingrid and Sven could only stare at the baby… _their_ baby…their _daughter_. Ingrid couldn't believe it. After nine months of waiting, she and Sven now had a beautiful baby daughter…their beautiful little baby girl. Tears formed in her eyes as the baby finally calmed down and looked up at her.

"Hi…hi there, little one," she said gently stroking the baby's cheek. "I'm your mommy. Yes, I am."

"And…I'm your daddy," Sven said with tears in his eyes as he ran his meaty hand through the baby's fine brown hair. "She's so beautiful." He then kissed both his daughter and his wife. "You both are beautiful."

"Congratulations, you two," Hroar said as he and the midwife walked in. "She's adorable."

"Thank you, Hroar," Ingrid said staring at the baby girl as she squirmed and cooed in her mother's arms.

"So, do we have a name for the little one?" the midwife asked the new proud parents.

"Not yet," Sven replied. "We couldn't come up with anything."

"I want her to have a name that stands out…that has a special meaning," Ingrid said as the wheels began to turn. She and Sven had nine months to think of their name for their first child, and they were never able to agree on a name for a girl. They had decided to name the child after Sven, should the baby be a boy, but nothing stuck when it came to naming the child if it turned out to be a girl. However, now that their firstborn daughter was finally here, Ingrid was determined to give her the perfect name.

"Well, you have some time before her vatni ausinn," Hroar suggested.

Before anyone could reply, a huge gust of wind suddenly burst into the room through the shutters prompting the midwife to run over and to close them before the baby froze. However, in the brief seconds that the window was open, Ingrid was able to see the grey winter sky that brought that raging storm all day, and that was when it hit her. Despite the bleak, stormy day in the middle of winter, the light that was the baby girl in her arms shined through. To the new mother, it felt as if the gods blessed them with this little light with the help of that grey sky.

"Grey," she simply said.

"What was that, dear?" Sven asked his wife.

"Grey…" the new mother replied happily looking down at the baby. "For the grey sky that helped the gods to bring her to us…in a way."

The chief and the midwives didn't dare to say anything, so they stared at each other for a few seconds. Sven could only look at Ingrid and then at their daughter in her arms thinking deeply about the unusual name. His wife was in fact right. In a way, their newborn daughter came to them because of the grey sky above them…perhaps the gods brought the storm for that reason.

"Grey…" he said aloud. "That's a perfect name for her…Grey Bergman…"

"Grey Hertha Bergman," Ingrid added beaming from ear to ear.

The chief smiled as he walked closer to the two parents so that he had a closer look at the baby, who was about to be nursed by her mother.

"Well then, Grey Hertha Bergman," he began, "welcome to the Haligan Tribe."

* * *

 _January 19, 1024—nine days after Grey was born_

Sven knelt down next to the bucket with his nine-day-old daughter on his knee and his wife next to him. He then looked up at Chief Hroar and his younger brother, Einar, who were there as witnesses for the ceremony.

"My wife and I would like to thank you both for coming today," he began. "As you know, we decided a name for our little girl." He looked at the little baby girl. "My daughter, from this day forward, you," he dipped a bundle of fur into the bucket of water, "shall forever be known as Grey Hertha Bergman, daughter of Sven and Ingrid Bergman." He then sprinkled the water on baby Grey's head. "Your first name comes from the grey sky that helped to bring you to us nine days ago. It may have been stormy that day, but you were the little light that shined through it. May you always be a little light to everyone around you."

With that, everyone in the room applauded as Sven welcomed the baby Grey into the Bergman household.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Annnnnnnnd that was the first chapter, boys and girls! I really hope you enjoyed it! I honestly hadn't written a childbirth scene before this…especially one that didn't take place in modern times, but I felt pretty confident about it when I wrote it.

Now that I gave you background info, I do want to mention that updates to this one will be a bit sporadic to say the least. I have other fanfics I'm currently writing, and since this is a oneshot series. It's likely that updates will be few and far between. I will update as soon as I can, but my other fanfics have a bit more priority right now. Thank you in advance for understanding!

Again, I really hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to favorite and to review!

Next up is **Grey's very first birthday!**


	2. Grey's First Birthday

**Author's Note:** Hi there! I'm back with the next installment of _The First 21 Years of Bergman_! So, this chapter is GREY'S FIRST BIRTHDAY! I hope you all enjoy it!

 **Disclaimer: I only own Grey Bergman, her parents, and other secondary characters. I do NOT own anything related to the How To Train Your Dragon franchise.**

* * *

Chapter 2—Grey's First Birthday (January 10, 1025)

January 10, 1025…a whole year later, and yet another snowstorm was raging through the village on Haligan Island. However, that didn't matter to Ingrid and Sven because this day was just too special. It was little Grey's first birthday! It had been a whole year since she had been born, and Sven and Ingrid loved every moment of their journey as new parents. There had been ups and downs, but their little daughter was making the journey worth it.

Ingrid woke up early that morning to the howling winds, but oddly enough, that wasn't what had woken her up. In fact, it was the cooing and babbling noises coming from the cradle across from their bed. Her husband, Sven, was still sound asleep next to her snoring softly, so Ingrid took it upon herself to get up and to tend to the baby. She looked over the cradle with a gentle smile on her face seeing Grey happily babbling and squirming. Once Grey's brown eyes lay on Ingrid's, she squealed and giggled in pure delight.

"Mama! Mama!" Grey cooed reaching for Ingrid.

Ingrid only chuckled and complied reaching into the cradle and picking her up. "Hello, my little Grey," she said. "Happy 1st Birthday…" She rested her daughter on her hip hugging her close. "You are a whole year old today."

Being a baby, Grey only giggled in response as Ingrid rested her forehead against hers.

"Do I hear a certain birthday girl giggling?" a man's voice suddenly said causing Ingrid to turn around only to see her husband, Sven getting out of bed and walking over to them.

"I think you do," Ingrid said as she turned around allowing her husband to see their little girl.

As soon as Grey saw her father, the little baby lit up and giggled again. "Dada! Dada!" she said.

"Good morning," Sven said taking his and Ingrid's daughter into his arms. "Happy Birthday, my little Valkyrie."

The birthday girl giggled as her father took her into his arms and held her up in the air and spun her around. Ingrid could only chuckle as she watched the scene between father and daughter.

As Sven finally brought Grey down into his arms, the family moment was interrupted when the strong winds outside suddenly threw the window shutters in Sven and Ingrid's room open. Not wanting Grey to be exposed to the frigid cold, Ingrid quickly ran to the window and closed it tightly. Unfortunately, this sparked an idea in little Grey's head.

Grey suddenly began to squirm in her father's arms as if to try to get to something. Sven furrowed his eyebrows together as he tried his best to keep Grey from falling out of his arms. He then couldn't help but laugh as he quickly managed to catch her as she almost escaped and fell.

"The birthday girl is quite energetic this morning," he said laughing.

Grey pointed to the window babbling, and thankfully, both parents figured out quickly what she communicating.

"I think someone wants to go outside and play," Ingrid said smiling at her husband. "Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie," she took their little daughter into her arms, "but it's too stormy outside. You could get sick."

Grey didn't seem to take in what her mother was trying to tell her and still tried to reach for the window. Ingrid and Sven couldn't help but laugh at their daughter's resilience as Ingrid took her out of the bedroom.

"Don't worry, my little Valkyrie," Sven said as he followed his wife and daughter out of the bedroom. "We're going to have lots of fun on your first birthday."

* * *

Sven and Ingrid certainly did not disappoint their daughter with her birthday celebration. Due to the raging snow outside, it was only Grey and her parents as the snow trapped the Chief in his home. Einar was also stuck at sea while trading but promised in a letter that he would come to see his little niece very soon. Until then, the birthday girl enjoyed the day with her loving parents.

The day started with Ingrid preparing some breakfast for the family, and once they were finished, they all got dressed and prepared for the rest of the day. For the entire afternoon, Grey was absolutely spoiled by her parents with their love and, of course…presents! Sven and Ingrid had given her a stuffed toy dragon that Ingrid made, a small carving of a Viking warrior that Sven made, a small toy Viking ship that Sven also made, and last but not least, a blanket for cold winter days such as this one.

After presents, it was time for Grey's mid-afternoon nap, so after Ingrid put her down in the cradle, she and Sven spent the quiet time they had together to get ready for the final events of Grey's first birthday.

"Is she still sleeping?" Ingrid asked as she tended to the meal she was making for dinner.

"Yep," Sven replied as he gently closed the door to the bedroom their daughter was sleeping in, "like a baby."

Ingrid couldn't help but chuckle at her husband's statement as she turned back to cooking their meal over the fire. "I think the storm is starting to lighten up outside," she said gesturing to the front window.

Sven stopped and listened realizing that his wife was right. The wind sounded like it wasn't as strong as it was this morning. Perhaps, it was calming down for the day, but he was sure that Hroar and Einar would keep true to their promise to visit Grey the next day.

"How's dinner coming along?" he asked giving Ingrid a kiss on the cheek.

Ingrid blushed like she did when they began courting. "It's almost done," she said. "Hopefully, Grey will wake up soon."

Before Sven could respond, both husband and wife perked when they heard cooing and babbling from their bedroom, and it certainly didn't take long to figure out who it was. They smiled at each other so they figured that their daughter was hungry, so Sven went into the bedroom to get the birthday girl.

The proud father tip-toed over to the cradle, from which the cooing was coming, and looked down only to see that little Grey was in fact awake. He couldn't help but chuckle as he gently picked up the year-old baby into his arms as she babbled clearly happy to have her father's attention.

"My little Valkyrie," he said looking into her big grown eyes. "I bet you're hungry now, hmm?"

The baby giggled in response and reached up to her father clearly wanting him to pick her up.

Sven conceded and reached into her crib to pick up his baby daughter before carrying her out of the room and into the kitchen.

Ingrid looked up and smiled at her husband and their daughter, and when he was sure that their dinner was not going to burn, she stood up and went over to them. "Well, look who's finally awake," she said running a hand through Grey's fine brown hair.

"Mama!" Grey exclaimed happily.

Ingrid chuckled at Grey's excitement. It amazed her how bubbly Grey was after a good nap, but it never ceased to make her smile to see her only child happy.

"Well, I don't know about my two lovely Viking ladies," Sven began, "but I am very hungry."

"Good, because it's just about ready," Ingrid replied. "Would you be a dear and get our food so I can feed Grey?"

"Of course," Sven said as he passed the birthday girl into her mother's arms.

* * *

Thus, the evening continued on as Ingrid and Sven enjoyed a quiet family dinner with Grey eating her own food, and as soon as they cleaned up while Grey played by herself on the floor with her toys, they had dessert after singing "Happy Birthday" to their one-year-old daughter. Both parents could only giggle as Grey gushed over the stuffed dragon they had given her earlier.

"Happy 1st Birthday, my little Grey," Ingrid said with a warm smile on her face while Grey hugged her new toy tightly. She then gave their daughter a kiss on the top of her head.

"We love you very much, my little Valkyrie," Sven whispered as he kissed their daughter as well.

Even though she did not have many words yet, Grey looked up at her parents and smiled.

"Dada…" her little hand reached for him. Then she reached for her mother. "Mama…"

Sven and Ingrid knew that Grey would not remember much of her first birthday when she would grow older, but one thing was for sure. The love that the three of them had for each other was absolute and could never be taken away. There were surely going to be more ups and downs with raising their daughter, but they were prepared to face them all together as a family.

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 **Author's Note:** And that was Grey's 1st Birthday, ladies and gents! I hope you all enjoyed it! I'll be honest here, the earlier childhood chapters are going to be harder in a sense because Grey's been my main OC and the one who is the most developed, and I haven't really written her parents as frequently. And given that Grey is pretty young and such, Sven and Ingrid have to be the ones to carry the chapter, so I hope you are enjoying it regardless. Once we get to age 4-5, I feel that's when Grey will have more time to shine.

Anyway, up next is Grey at 2 YEARS OLD, and her parents take her on a little fishing trip! Again, hope you all liked it! Don't forget to leave a review! Thanks guys!


	3. Age 2: Fishing Trip

**Author's Note:** Hello, hello! I have returned with the next installment of _The First 21 Years of Grey Bergman_! Grey is now 2 years old in this chapter, and her parents are going to take her on a little fishing trip. Please note that this chapter will be on the short side since it is just the fishing trip. Either way, I hope you all enjoy it!

 **Disclaimer: I only own Grey Bergman, her parents, and other secondary characters. I do NOT own anything related to the** _ **How To Train Your Dragon**_ **franchise.**

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Chapter 3—Age 2: Fishing Trip (Spring 1026)

Once the winter months had passed, the weather on Haligan Island began to change from cold to warm as spring made its way onto the island. To Sven and Ingrid, the island that the tribe had been calling home for the past few years always seemed to sprout with new life as the snow melted away. The dragons and livestock roamed free, and the small population of children emerged from their houses engaging in active play in the village and the forest.

The new season gave Sven and Ingrid an idea: this would be a great time to take their 2-year-old daughter fishing. So, the two parents prepared for the day and planned to take Sven's ship out to the sea. The water was flat, which was perfect for a toddler to enjoy a day of fishing. Sven adjusted the sails of the small ship while Ingrid carried their young daughter down to the docks in her carrier. As soon as Sven saw his wife coming down to him with Grey, he jumped out of the boat to meet them.

"There's my little Valkyrie," Sven said taking the giggling toddler into his arms. "Did we have a nice nap?"

Ingrid chuckled. "Yes, we did," she replied, "and now we're ready for fishing. Sweetheart, are you sure the tides are calm today?"

"Absolutely, dear," Sven said as he jumped onto the ship with Grey in his arms and held out his hand for Ingrid to take. "Not a wave in sight. Besides, if it gets too choppy, we can always turn back."

Once Ingrid was settled in the ship with Grey, Sven untied the ship from the dock and set sail allowing the wind to take them out to see. When the Bergman family was a few miles away from the docks, Sven lowered the anchor, so that the ship would stay in place.

"Dada, up!" Grey peeped lifting her arms up above her head once her father completed his first task.

Sven could only chuckle at the toddler's excitement. "In a moment, little Valkyrie," he said lightly booping her on the nose earning a giggle in return. "Daddy needs to get the equipment ready. Then you can see the fishies."

"Yay!" Grey cheered as she clapped her hands earning a laugh from her parents.

As soon as Sven prepared the fishing poles, he took Grey into his arms carrying her to the edge of the ship allowing her to look down into the water below.

"Oh, Sven, be careful," Ingrid said as she quickly stood up. "She's going to fall."

"Ingrid, it's alright," Sven replied smiling at his wife while holding their young daughter in one arm and the fishing pole in the other. "I'm holding her. She's not going anywhere."

"Dada, Mama, look!" Grey shouted gleefully while her big brown eyes remained on the water.

"What is it, Grey?" Ingrid asked the toddler as she walked up to her husband and daughter.

"I see fishies!" she replied.

Grey was right! There was an entire school of fish swimming by them clearly not paying attention to Sven's bait. At least, that's what they thought when Sven's fishing pole began to bend.

"Sven, look," Ingrid said as soon as she noticed.

"Oh, gods…" Sven replied. He quickly shifted Grey into her mother's arms despite the little toddler's protests to tend to the pole with all his might trying to get their catch of the day.

"Dear, do you need help?" Ingrid asked as Grey continued to giggle.

"No, no, my darling," Sven said as he pulled the line back with all his might. "I've got it! I've got it!" In a matter of minutes, he finally pulled a large cod out from the water and held it up for his family to see.

"Dada did it!" Grey shouted gleefully.

Ingrid laughed as the fish flopped all around in Sven's grip. "Yes, sweetie, he certainly did!" she replied hugging her daughter close.

Sven chuckled as he placed the fish in the box to be taken back to the island for dinner. "Well, I'd say that that was a successful catch," he said dusting off his hands.

"If by successful, you mean that the fish didn't drag you overboard, then yes, I would have to agree."

Sven smirked at his wife before placing a chaste kiss on the lips. "You know that was one time," he whispered.

"And it was still pretty funny," Ingrid replied chuckling at the memory.

"More, Dada!" Grey's little voice chirped. "More fishies!"

"Oh, what's that, little Grey?" Sven asked turning to the toddler. You want more fish?"

"More fishie!" Grey exclaimed earning a laugh from both her parents.

They didn't plan on turning back yet, but it was amazing to see little Grey enjoy the day.

"Well, you heard the little one," Ingrid said once she calmed down from her laughing fit. "More fish, Daddy!"

"And more fish I will catch!" Sven exclaimed as he lightly booped Grey's nose once again earning their daughter's laugh in return.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** And that was Grey at age 2! I really hope you liked it! I know the chapter was on the short side, but this was simply "a-day-in-the-life." Some chapters will be short like this one and others will be longer.

Up next, Grey is 3 YEARS OLD, and something has struck Haligan Island! In the meantime, a decision is made. Don't forget to leave a review! Thanks, guys!


	4. Age 3: Survival and A Future

**Author's Note:** Hello, hello, readers! Welcome back to _The First 21 Years of Grey Bergman_! Grey is 3 years old in this one, and a disease has struck the children in the village. However, it leads to an important decision, so fasten your seatbelts for this one, guys, because it's pretty heavy, both in plot and in page length! I hope you all enjoy it!

 **Disclaimer: I only own Grey Bergman, her parents, Chief Hroar, and other secondary characters. I do NOT own anything related to the** _ **How to Train Your Dragon**_ **franchise.**

* * *

Chapter 4—Age 3: Survival and A Future (December 1027)

Aside from being forced from their original home on the mainland, the epidemic was considered to be another one of the darkest times in Haligan Tribe history. No one could ever predict such an event, and that did not do well to calm the fears of Chief Hroar, Sven, Ingrid, and the other adults in the village. First, it started with one of the younger children getting sick with a bad cough and an extremely high fever. Then another child…then another…until it reached the older children.

Three-year-old Grey was one of the few children to suddenly fall ill, and of course, given that her mother, Ingrid was the healer of the village, she found herself keeping vigil at Grey's side in their bedroom with all her healing supplies and trying to find a cure for the children of the tribe. However, the herbs and medicines only seemed to relieve the symptoms for a short time, which was not good enough for the adults. No, they wanted a cure for the children, and quickly.

"Mama…" a small voice suddenly said breaking the silence.

Ingrid jumped and turned around to find Grey looking at her through heavy-lidded eyes while clutching the stuffed dragon tightly to her chest. Her motherly instinct kicked in, and she quickly stood up and ran to the child's side. "What is it, sweetie?" she asked kneeling down. "Are you okay?"

"I don't feel good," Grey whined.

The healer of the village placed a hand on the child's forehead feeling the heat emanating from the latter's body. Ingrid quickly grabbed the wet cloth sitting in a basin filled with water, and then she wrung out the cloth and dabbed the cloth on Grey's forehead hoping this would provide temporary relief for the three-year-old. "I know, sweetheart," Ingrid said, "but don't worry. Mommy is going to make sure you get better real soon, okay?"

"Okay," the young child said before succumbing to another coughing fit.

Ingrid shushed her child. It drove her mad that her only daughter was lying in bed sick with a fever, and that she couldn't do anything about it except look through books and books of remedies for this cure for hours on end. "Go back to sleep, darling," she finally said to Grey after she finally stopped coughing. "You need to rest."

"Okay, Mama," the little girl said as she complied and fell asleep.

The healer finally placed a kiss on Grey's forehead before turning back to her research. Not long after that, the bedroom door opened, and Ingrid looked up only to see her husband, Sven walk in.

"How is she?" he asked immediately walked over to the bed to see their little daughter.

Ingrid sighed. "Still the same," she replied as she watched her husband tend to Grey.

Sven then placed a kiss on Grey's forehead feeling the fever radiate from her body before turning to Ingrid. "How's the cure coming?" he asked.

Ingrid sighed in frustration as she turned back to the books laid out in front of her. "I'm trying to find something we can use here on this island," she replied, "but it looks like we tried almost everything. Nothing here seems strong enough to beat this. We may have to resort to looking for other ingredients on the mainland."

"We'll do whatever we need to do," Sven added. "Our daughter and the other children are counting on it."

"Thanks for the added pressure," Ingrid said with sarcasm.

The Chief's second-in-command cringed at his words. Ingrid and the elder of the village had been working hard to find the cure, and it had been no easy task. Between taking care of their ill three-year-old girl and looking for a cure to heal the children, he felt awful for adding to his wife's stress. He sighed and walked over to Ingrid placing his hands on her shoulders and a kiss on top of her head.

"I'm sorry, my love," he whispered. "I didn't mean to make you more stressed."

The healer sighed as she leaned back in her chair relaxing in the general's grip. "I know you didn't," she said. "I just hate that I'm having such a hard time. I trained with my mother for years. I should be able to find a cure for…whatever this illness is."

"You'll figure it out, my dear," Sven said as he knelt down so that he was at Ingrid's eye level. "Perhaps, there's something you missed?" He looked at the array of books and scrolls. Unfortunately, when their tribe was attacked on the mainland all those years ago, Ingrid was only able to escape with a few books and scrolls, so when they first set foot on the island, she had to work to either gain knowledge on resources from the neighboring islands and the island itself in hopes to find substitutes for what they needed or find the exact same resources that the mainland provided. She had been successful in the both the former and the latter, mostly the former, but for situations like this, some more resources from the mainland would've been helpful.

"I'm not sure, I mean…" Ingrid began, "this is everything that I managed to grab before we had to retreat and the new sources I added when we settled here. There—" she stopped mid-sentence when she remembered something.

"What is it, Ingrid?" Sven asked.

"It's a bit of a long shot," Ingrid replied as she began searching through her books again, "but if I can find a mixture of the ingredients here and on the mainland, we might be able to make a cure. I've been so set on using these ingredients from the islands to save us some time, but we may be able to use some ingredients from the mainland to strengthen the mixture to beat this sickness."

"Well, that's great," Sven replied, "but has that ever been tried before?"

"Not necessarily because healers usually use what is available to them," Ingrid replied searching through her books, "but sometimes we need to think outside the box."

"What can I do?" Sven asked.

"Get Hroar to call a meeting with the council," she replied. "Tell them to come here as soon as possible."

* * *

Ingrid and the elder watched with great anticipation and nervousness as they watched the dragons and the ships move across the ocean away from the island and toward the mainland. Once Ingrid had brought the ingredients that she deduced would create the cure for the children of the village, Chief Hroar, Sven, and the council agreed that they needed to take on an expedition to the mainland, the surrounding forest, and even the neighboring islands to find said ingredients. A small group of soldiers stayed behind on Haligan Island to scope the forest while Sven and Hroar led the others to the neighboring islands and the mainland.

As much as it pained Sven to leave his wife and their daughter, both parents knew it had to be done if they were to save Grey and the other children. Ingrid felt her heart breaking as she watched her husband disappear over the horizon. As soon as the group of dragons and ships disappeared in the dark of the night, the healer excused herself from the elder and went back to tend to Grey. She gave the list to the men, and it was now in the gods' hands to let them come back safely and in time. She would wait for the men to come back with the ingredients for the children.

* * *

A few hours had passed, but it felt like an eternity for Ingrid as she sat next to her sleeping daughter. The men who remained on Haligan Island had already brought back a few of the ingredients, so now all they needed to do was wait for Sven, Hroar, and the others to return with remaining ingredients for the medicine. Unfortunately, within those few hours, Ingrid had received word that while Grey and the teens remained the same, a few other children had begun to get weaker and showed signs of the disease getting worse. Ingrid prayed with all her heart that her husband would return soon, but until then, the elder and the healer continued to give these children medicine to relieve the symptoms, especially the fever. However, it was pretty clear that time was running short.

"Mama?" Grey suddenly asked waking up from another nap.

"Yes, my little Grey?" Ingrid said as she quickly rushed to her daughter's side placing a washcloth on her forehead to ease the heat radiating from her small body.

"Where's Daddy?" she asked.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Ingrid replied. "Daddy is going to be back soon. You just need to hang on, okay?"

"Okay, Mama," Grey replied before falling back asleep.

Suddenly, Ingrid was jolted out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on the door. As she stood up to answer it, she couldn't help but note how frantic it sounded. A part of her was thinking—or rather—hoping that it was the men returning to give her the ingredients, but that wasn't the case, as she opened the door and saw that it was one of the men who returned earlier.

"Ingrid, I'm so sorry to disturb you, but…" he stopped holding his helmet close to his chest.

"What…what is it?" she asked. "Does your son need more medicine?"

The Viking looked at her again allowing the healer to see the tears streaming down his face, and it was at that moment that Ingrid realized what happened and gasped.

* * *

Sven and Hroar watched in great anticipation as Ingrid helped Grey drink the antidote she made from the ingredients. Both the teens and Grey had been given the medicine as soon as the men returned. However, they unfortunately realized from what Ingrid and the elder informed them that it was too late for the other children in the village. Once Ingrid was informed of what happened to the first child, the rest quickly followed, and everyone feared the same would happen to young Grey and the teenagers. However, as expected, the teens survived just in time to be given the medicine, but what was unexpected was that little Grey…a young 3-year-old...managed to hang on in time as well.

"Now, what?" Hroar asked as soon as Ingrid finished giving the medicine to her daughter.

"Now, we wait and pray that it works," Ingrid replied. "Their bodies need time to respond to the mixture."

* * *

The village waited about two days as Grey and the teens started to show signs of the medicine healing them. They continued to spend most of the time sleeping, but Ingrid and Sven were ecstatic to see Grey's fever breaking into a sweat and her wanting to eat a little more.

"Mama, Daddy," Grey said rubbing her eyes as she woke up from another nap, "I'm hungry."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, little Valkyrie," Sven said sitting down next to their little girl, "because Mommy made you some broth."

As soon as Sven said that, Ingrid set the tray down in front of the child much to the latter's delight. Grey was just about to practically dive for it when her mother gently stopped her. "Hold on, Grey," she said gently, "we need to make sure it's a little cooler, okay?"

"Oh, okay," Grey said bashfully. However, the embarrassment quickly faded when she blew on the broth before taking a spoonful. "Mmm…yummy!"

Both of her parents chuckled as they continued to watch her. Sven and Ingrid mentally noted to themselves that Grey was slowly becoming her usual self again and gaining some energy back. However, before either of them could say or do anything, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Sven said as he stood up and left his wife and daughter in the bedroom. The Chief's second-in-command opened the door and found his oldest friend, the Chief himself on the other side. "Hroar, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Sven," Hroar replied. "I know, this is probably not a good time, but I was wondering if we can talk in private…outside."

"Oh, yes, sir, of course," Sven replied. Even though Sven and Hroar had been friends since their childhood and acted like brothers, Sven always remembered that Hroar was his superior as Chief and made sure to respect that, much to Hroar's dismay. He then turned to the bedroom. "Ingrid, I'm going outside with Hroar for a moment. I'll be right back."

"Alright, Sven!" Ingrid called back.

* * *

The Chief and his second-in-command moved from the Bergman household to talk privately. Thankfully, it was late, so they didn't have to worry about any of the villagers listening in.

"How's your little Valkyrie?" Hroar asked after a moment.

Sven couldn't help but sigh in relief. "Terrific," he replied. "She's slowly getting stronger again and starting to eat more. I hear the older children are doing well, too." Sven stopped and looked at his best friend and superior. "It's such a shame about the other children, though."

"Yes, I know," Hroar replied. "How's Ingrid doing?"

"She's trying to move past it," Sven replied, "but it's painful knowing the others couldn't be saved in time. I mean she's thankful that we saved Grey and the older children, but still."

"No, of course, I understand," Hroar replied. "I think it will take us all a while to move past this tragedy."

Sven nodded as he looked out onto the horizon that was hidden under the dark of the night. "You didn't ask me to come out here to talk about what happened, did you?"

The Chief chuckled and shook his head. "You know me too well," he finally said. "Well…yes and no. It's just…despite the tragedy, I can't help but think that…there's a reason why we managed to save Grey in time."

"Well, yes, of course, there is," Sven interjected. "She has a strong fighting spirit, and she held on. That's why she survived."

"As did the other children, but somehow, they all lost their battles. Yet…your daughter didn't. Surely, this miracle must be more than that."

"What do you mean?" Sven asked crossing his arms.

"I've spoken with the elder," Hroar began, "and he and I agreed that Grey wasn't meant to leave this world two nights ago. That's why we were able to save her in time. The Gods must not have wanted her to go to the afterlife yet, and they gave her a blessing."

"I suppose you're right," Sven replied after a moment, "but…why?" Honestly, with all that happened, the Chief's second-in-command hadn't considered the gods having a reason for allowing the children to fall to this horrible disease only for a few of them to survive, but now that he was talking about it, it didn't sound completely out of the ordinary for the gods to want certain people to survive. Certainly, it meant that they had plans for those survivors. Perhaps, they did have plans for Grey and the others, but that still didn't explain why or what those plans were.

"Let's not question why now, my friend," Hroar replied. "After all, when the gods send you a blessing, you don't—"

"Ask why it was sent," Sven finished for him chuckling. "I know."

"Yes, now, I may not know what their reasoning was, but…now that your little Valkyrie was given a fighting chance to live her life, it's helped me with an important decision—something I had been thinking about for a while now."

Sven raised an eyebrow. "And what would this important decision be?"

Hroar took a deep breath. "Sven, I would like Grey to be my successor as Chief of the Haligan Tribe."

Sven widened his brown eyes in shock. "What…? But…Hroar…she…she's not of your family line."

Hroar rolled his eyes at Sven. "I know she's not, but family lines of Chiefs have changed over the years. Grey wouldn't be the first to start a new one, and you and I both know that this was going to come up sooner or later. I don't have a child of my own to pass this title down to."

The second-in-command knew his Chief was right with that statement. Hroar had lost his wife and son during the raid that forced their tribe's to retreat from the mainland a few years ago. Now, Hroar had no wife and no heir to pass down the title to, which meant he would either have to choose someone he deemed worthy or find another woman to produce another heir.

Hroar finally spoke again jolting Sven out of his thoughts, "You know what the law says: if the Chief is unable to produce an heir, then he may either choose the child of the second-in-command or another child who has proven worthy. Grey is not only the daughter of my second-in-command, but the daughter of my closest friend…one I consider as my own brother. Who better to take my place one day than the daughter of someone I trust with my own life?"

"I understand that, and I'm honored that you value my family and me in such a way, but things can change. What if you do end up having children? That child would have more of a right than Grey to take your place."

The Chief sighed in defeat. His friend had a valid point. What if he was to find another woman and they have a child? Even though Grey was deemed worthy, his biological child would have more of a right to take over by law. However, he perked when he remembered something. "Although, since Grey is only 3 years old, I don't have to make my decision until she becomes of age," he said. "I know there's a possibility of me having another child. However, Sven, these tragic events could be a sign that Grey is meant to be the next Chief, and I would like to see my friend's child as my successor, but only if he agrees to it."

It was now Sven's turn to sigh, but not in defeat. He knew that Hroar needed a successor, and he was truly honored that he wanted his daughter to step up as the next Chief. However, Hroar was still young and Grey was still a child, which still left for possibility of Hroar either finding another child or having his own child, and he would hate to see Grey subjected to the hurt that she lost her chance and to deal with a rival for the position when it wasn't her decision. That gave the worried father an idea of his own.

"Very well, sir," Sven finally said. "If no other circumstances arise by the time Grey is of age, then she will take your place as Chief…on two conditions. First, we do not tell her until the time comes."

"Not tell her?"

"Only because it will allow her to come to the decision on her own when we will approach her on the matter, and if these circumstances arise, it will save a lot of trouble of dealing with who has the right to what title."

Hroar nodded in understanding. Sven had a point. While this was something that he believed was the will of the gods, Grey would be an adult by the time the decision was to be official, and it would be left up to her in the end if she would want to take his place as Chief. Not only that, but this would save some trouble if he were to meet somebody and have a child who would have more of a right to the position. "I understand," he finally said. "I will accept your conditions, my friend."

* * *

"Chief…?" Ingrid asked turning to face her husband. "Grey as the next Chief?"

Sven quickly shushed his wife out of fear of waking Grey, who fell back asleep. "Yes," he finally replied once he was sure that Grey was still sleeping, "he thinks our daughter was blessed by the gods to survive this disease, and that's enough for him to choose her as his successor when she's of age."

"I understand all of that," Ingrid replied making sure to keep her voice down, "but, Sven, she's only three years old and is starting to get over this disease. He decides _now_ is the right time to decide who the next Chief is going to be?"

"I know, I know," Sven said holding his hands up to calm his wife, "but he's right. Grey had to have been given a fighting chance for a reason, and perhaps, becoming the next Chief is that reason. Not only that, but she's the daughter of his second-in-command. He doesn't have children of his own to pass the position down to, so this is something he needs to think about. The law says that he's allowed to do it."

Ingrid paused for a moment and realized that Sven had some good points. Hroar was always going to have to make a decision as to who his successor would be, and it made sense for him to choose the daughter of someone he trusted, especially his second-in-command. Not only that, but the other remaining children besides Grey were at the age where their futures in the tribe had been decided at this point, so Grey was the right option. However, there was still the fact that Grey was indeed still a child. "Okay, fine, let's say that Grey is meant to be Chief," she began, "but what if Hroar changes his mind or does end up having another child, hmm? That child would—"

"Yes, we spoke about that," Sven interjected patiently. "That's why we agreed that Hroar will follow the law and make his official decision when Grey is of age."

"And what if the time comes and Grey doesn't want to be Chief?"

"We agreed that we won't tell her about this until the time comes, and Hroar promised me that Grey would have the opportunity to decide."

Ingrid bit her bottom lip in thought as she turned toward the door to the master bedroom, where Grey was still sleeping. Hroar would have to make his decision when Grey came of age, as her husband said, which gave them time mostly for Grey to decide what she would like to do in the future and for plans to change should circumstances change. "I suppose that should give Grey plenty of time," she finally said aloud, "and if she doesn't know, she won't be hurt if anything changes. Who knows, maybe she will actually want to accept it."

"Exactly, there's no telling why the gods willed the tragedy to happen or why Grey survived along with the older ones," Sven replied. "Let's just be grateful we saved their lives and be glad that Hroar wants our daughter to be his successor. Just think…we're probably raising the future Chief of Haligan Island."

"It would be amazing to see her receive that mark on her forehead," Ingrid said smiling, "and we will be the proudest we've ever been for her."

"And even if she doesn't become Chief," Sven said as he took his wife into his arms, "we will love her and be proud of her just the same."

"Of course, we will."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Phew, that was a long one! This took up about 12 pages in my journal, but it was a lot of fun to write! So, yes, while tragedy struck the tribe…a decision had been made about Grey's future! All my fellow RPers know what happens later on, but I will tell my new readers that Grey does make a decision about this years into the future! Also, I'm actually considering writing an "extended" edition of this to really flesh it out, but I'll have to see.

Anyway, I hope you all liked this one! The next one is a lot lighter and fluffier and shorter, as it goes back to "a-day-in-the-life." Grey is 4 YEARS OLD and spends the day with her mom while she works! See you in the next chapter! Don't forget to leave a review! Thanks, guys!


	5. Age 4: Just Watching

**Author's Note:** Welcome back, readers! As you can see, I am back with another installment of _The First 21 Years of Grey Bergman_! Our main girl, Grey is 4 years old and spends the day with her mother while she works with a patient. This is a pretty short chapter compared to the last one, but like I've said, this is one of those "day-in-the-life" chapters. I hope you all enjoy it!

Also, just so you know, there is another Hroar in this chapter. He has no relation to the Chief. He's just a teenager with the same name, so they added "the Young" to make a distinction between the two. So, the teenager is in this chapter.

 **Disclaimer: I only own Grey Bergman, her parents, Chief Hroar, and other secondary characters. I do NOT own anything related to the** _ **How to Train Your Dragon**_ **franchise.**

* * *

Chapter 5-Age 4: Just Watching (Summer 1028)

"Oh my, he really got you this time," four-year-old Grey heard her mother say while she was playing with her stuffed dragon.

"Yeah…stupid dragon," Hroar the Young grumbled as Ingrid inspected the wound in his arm.

Curiosity got the better of the little girl, so she stood up and walked over to where her mother was working. For quite a while now, Grey would spend the day with her mother in her healer's hut while her father was out working with the Chief. On some days, Sven would spend the day with them, but on this particular day, Ingrid and Grey were spending the day together in the hut while Sven was helping to settle a domestic dispute. Normally, Grey would simply play with her toys while her mother worked, but today was different as she heard mention of a dragon…Hroar the Young's dragon.

Ingrid chuckled. "Well, maybe you should think twice before—"

"Mommy?"

The healer paused in applying the ointment to the 14-year-old's wound—a bite mark from his Deadly Nadder—and looked only to see her four-year-old daughter staring up at her. "Yes, Grey? What is it?"

"What are you doing?" Grey asked smiling.

"Well, I'm making Hroar's boo-boo go away," Ingrid replied in words that Grey would understand.

"Oh," Grey replied. Then she turned to the teenaged boy. "What happened to your arm?"

"Well, I was trying to train my dragon," Hroar replied smiling at the child in front of him. Despite the age difference, Hroar and the other teens of the village came to see Grey as an honorary member of their group. Because she was so young, Grey often tagged along while they did their choirs and trained in the arena, with her parents' permission, of course. "And he bit me."

"Oh," Grey replied again, "can I watch you make him better, Mommy?"

"Sure, kid," Hroar answered.

"Of course, sweetheart," Ingrid added.

Grey beamed from ear to ear and immediately ran over, grabbed her little chair, and pulled it over to a spot closer to her mother and the patient.

Both Hroar and Ingrid chuckled seeing Grey so excited in watching the healer do her job. Ingrid smiled at her little girl and turned back to the wound, and Grey watched from her seat for the next 15 minutes asking a few questions here and there. Soon enough, Ingrid finished stitching and patching the wound, and Hroar thanked the healer for her help and said his goodbyes to her and the child.

"Mommy?" Grey asked as she watched Ingrid clean up for the day.

"Yes, my little Grey?" Ingrid replied.

"When will I get to have a dragon?" Grey asked.

Ingrid hid her brief shock with a chuckle and a shake of the head. "When you're older, sweetheart," she replied. "You're a little too young to have one right now."

"Aww…" Grey whined as she clutched her dragon tighter.

Ingrid felt her heart break when she saw the sad look on Grey's face. She and Sven had spoken about it before and agreed that it would be best to wait until their daughter was older to get her a dragon, but that obviously was not okay to Grey. "Don't worry, my little Grey," she finally said kneeling in front of the child. "When you're bigger, Daddy and I will help you pick your own dragon."

"Promise?" Grey asked.

"Promise," Ingrid replied opening her arms to her young daughter.

Grey's frown quickly faded into a smile before she ran into her mother's arms hugging her tightly, and Ingrid quickly and eagerly returned the gesture.

"Now, what do you say we go home and have some lunch?" Ingrid asked as she pulled away to look Grey in the eye.

"Yeah, I'm hungry!" Grey replied nodded eagerly.

Ingrid chuckled as she stood up with Grey in her arms and left the hut making their way back to Bergman household.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** That's all for now, guys! As I said earlier, this was shorter than the last one, but it was a "day-in-the-life" chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it!

The next one is a little longer than this one, but it is a "day-in-the-life" chapter as well. Grey is 5 YEARS OLD and gets into a little trouble. Don't forget to leave a review! Thanks, guys!


	6. Age 5: Daddy's Sword

**Author's Note:** Welcome back, readers! I have returned with the next installment of the _21 Years of Grey Bergman_! Grey is 5 YEARS OLD in this one, and does something that she's not supposed to do! This one is a little longer than the last one as it pertains to how Grey eventually learns to sword fight! I hope you all like it!

 **Disclaimer: I only own Grey Bergman, her parents, Uncle Einar, and other secondary characters. I do NOT own anything related to the** _ **How to Train Your Dragon**_ **franchise.**

* * *

Chapter 6—Age 5: Daddy's Sword (March 1029)

Winter once again passed as March finally came around the corner brining warm weather allowing the villagers to emerge from the comfort of their homes more frequently. For the young teenagers, this meant that training was going to become more intense. The four older children in the village were not only training to become warriors, but five-year-old Grey offered to come with them and watch them train for a little while. Of course, they were perfectly fine with allowing the youngest of the villagers to come watch their training session.

Grey excitedly sat on the edge of the training arena and watched as their instructor greeted them and commenced their lesson in sword fighting. Of course, this made Grey even more excited. For a while now, the daughter of the Chief's second-in-command had seen her father carry his large sword around, and it had inspired her to want to learn the skill, which was partly why she was allowed to watch the teens train with their master.

The lesson lasted for about an hour before the master finally allowed the teens to stop their drills. The five-year-old girl clapped her hands enthusiastically for the teens.

"That was so cool!" Grey shouted as she ran to meet her friends as they walked out of the arena. "You guys are so tough!"

"Aw, thanks, kiddo!" Hroar said ruffling Grey's brown hair. "Who knows, one day, you'll probably be in there with us teaching you."

"I wish I could now," Grey said as she hugged her stuffed dragon. "I want to fight with a sword like you guys…and my daddy!"

"Well, maybe—" one of the teens began to say.

"Grey!"

The youngsters looked up only to see…

"Daddy!" Grey squealed as she bolted and ran into her father's arms.

Sven laughed as he picked up his daughter hugging her tightly. "There's my little Valkyrie," he said as he held Grey close. "Thank you for letting her tag along today, kids. I hope she wasn't too much trouble."

"Not at all, Sven," Hroar the Young replied. "It was actually a lot of fun having someone cheer us on today."

Sven chuckled as he adjusted Grey so that she rested on his hip. "Well, I'm glad to hear that," he replied. "Perhaps, Ingrid and I should ask you to watch her more often."

"Yeah!" Grey shouted with glee.

Sven and the teens chuckled at Grey's excitement. "Now, Grey, what do you say to Hroar and the other kids?"

"Thanks for letting me watch you train, guys," Grey said once she realized what he father was talking about.

"You're welcome, Grey," Brunhilda said. "You can come watch us anytime."

Grey giggled in reply.

"Well, we should get going," Sven said. "Your uncle Einar is here, and we got to meet him by the docks."

Grey gasped and cheered. Her uncle—Sven's younger brother was a trader, who made his way all around Haligan Island and the coasts of Aidorin. He made trips to Haligan Island on his route at least once a month, which meant that it was always exciting whenever Grey got to see him.

* * *

Einar Bergman, younger brother of Sven, stretched his back as he finally docked on the shores of Haligan Island. It had been a day since his last stop on the mainland, and he was beyond relieved to finally see that island on the horizon. Once he felt his back crack, he pulled in his sails and anchored the ship to keep it from floating away. Already, he could hear the villagers rushing to the ship to greet him and to see what new products he found and traded for on his travels. However, there was one voice above the rest that stood out to him as he adjusted his cargo.

"Uncle Einar!" the voice cried out.

Einar looked up and saw the source of the voice—a five-year-old girl with brown eyes and brown hair—running toward the ship with a familiar man not too far behind. He quickly jumped out of the ship with a huge smile on his face. "There she is!" Einar shouted as he picked Grey up and hugged her tightly. "How's my favorite niece?"

"Uncle Einar, that's silly," Grey replied giggling. "I'm your only niece."

"Ah, all the more reason for you to be my favorite," Einar retorted as he booped her on the nose with his finger.

"Little brother," Sven called out walking toward the pair. "Good to see you made it here in one piece."

Einar laughed. 'Of course, big brother," he replied, "never doubt my sailing skills and knowledge of the seas." He looked around when he noticed that his sister-in-law wasn't present. "Where's Ingrid?"

"She had some patients this afternoon," Sven replied. "She'll join us later."

"Ah, wonderful, but until then, tell me, what in all the gods' names are you finding my niece? She has gotten," he began bouncing little Grey up and down as she giggled, "so big!"

Sven couldn't help but laugh at the scene between his little brother and daughter. For obvious reasons, it wasn't everyday Grey got to see her uncle, and it was especially hard when they didn't have relatives on the island. So, the time Sven, Ingrid, and Grey got to spend with Einar whenever he came to the island was special, and they always made sure to treasure it.

"Uncle Einar, can you tell me some stories?" Grey asked once she calmed down from her laughing fit. "I want to see what you got!" To young Grey, aside from her parents, her uncle always told the best stories about his travels and the amazing things he found in trade and his travels.

"Of course, my dear," Einar replied as he placed the little girl back on the ground, "but first, I must work with my valuable customers. Why don't you look around at what I found, hmm?"

Grey beamed from ear to ear at her uncle, and the five-year-old quickly turned to her father. "Can I, Daddy?" she asked excitedly.

"Alright, so long as you don't touch anything without asking," Sven replied with a somewhat stern voice.

"Yes, Daddy," Grey said. With that, the little girl immediately jumped onto the ship and began to look around at the various artifacts. She always enjoyed seeing new weapons, new equipment for hunting, and jewelry from all over the continent of Aidorin.

"Every time I see her, she always looks bigger and bigger," Einar said as he and Sven jumped onto the ship. "Whatever you and Ingrid are feeding her is working."

Sven chuckled at his brother's comment. "She grows everyday," he said blissfully watching his little girl walk around the deck of the ship. "She's becoming more curious, more adventurous."

"She takes after you, big brother," Einar replied shaking his head. "I remember all the trouble you used to get us into with Mom and Dad."

Sven couldn't help but laugh at his younger brother as he made sure to keep an eye on his daughter, who was continuing to roam around Einar's ship.

* * *

After a few hours of watching her uncle regale the villagers with stories of the amazing treasures he got on his trade routes, Grey and her father walked back to the house with Einar. There, Ingrid was already back in the kitchen waiting for them to return and making lunch for their little family, and like all adults, Sven, Ingrid, and Einar all gathered in the kitchen talking while little Grey sat on the floor playing some of her toy Viking soldiers and a few newer additions, that were given to her by her uncle today.

"Hroar the Young was right," Grey thought to herself as she continued to play with her toys. "Grown-ups talk too much."

It was then that something glistened out of the corner of her eye. The curious 5-year-old turned around only to see a very shiny object on the kitchen table, and a smile snuck onto the table, and a smile snuck onto her face. It was a sword, and not just any sword!

"Ooooh…Daddy's sword!" Grey said in exclamation.

For as long as she could remember, she had seen her father carry the sword around at his side, and she was never able to see it up close. So, the young girl quickly stood up and walked up to the table to get a closer look at the sword. It was peaking out of its sheath, allowing Grey to get a little look. She had always wanted to have a sword like the teens and her father, and now was probably the perfect chance to try it. So, Grey climbed onto one of the chairs. With a smile on her face, Grey reached for the sword and tried to pull it toward her out of its sheath. She pulled it out of the sheath just a little bit only to see her reflection in the smooth and shiny metal that made up the blade.

"Grey!" a voice shouted as a large pair of arms grabbed her from the side pulling her away from the sword and causing her to drop the weapon.

Grey gasped as she suddenly found herself in her father's arms and watched the sword fall.

"Grey, don't ever touch my sword!" Sven reprimanded. "You could've hurt yourself!"

"But, Daddy, I just wanted to see it," Grey whined.

"I don't care, young lady," Sven said as he turned her around in his arms so that they were looking at each other. "You know you're not allowed to touch it. It's too sharp. What if you cut yourself?"

Grey felt tears brimming in her eyes as she looked at her hands. She always hated when her parents reprimanded her. While they had told her it was because they needed to teach her and because they loved her, she always hated when they got mad after she did something wrong. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she said sniffling.

Sven sighed sadly before looking at his wife and brother. While he was kicking himself for leaving such a weapon unattended somewhere their daughter could try to grab it, Grey also needed to understand that there were certain rules that needed to be followed. However, that didn't mean that he enjoyed seeing tears well up in her big brown eyes as she looked away from him again.

"It's alright, my little Valkyrie," Sven finally said gently placing a finger under her chin lifting it so that they could make eye contact again. "I just want you to be safe, but you must promise to never do that again. Your mommy, uncle, and I all want you to be safe."

Grey quickly nodded. "I promise, Daddy," she said.

"Good, now, let's eat," Sven said. "I think Mommy said lunch was almost ready."

"That's right," Ingrid said smiling at her husband and daughter.

"Okay," Grey said wiping her face with her sleeve with a small smile on her face.

* * *

"Daddy?" Grey asked as her father tucked her in her bed.

"Yes, little Valkyrie?" Sven replied as he finished placing the blanket on her daughter.

"When can I learn how to fight with a sword?"

Sven chuckled and gave the little girl a warm smile before giving her a kiss on her forehead. "One day, Grey," he replied, "when you're old enough."

"Promise?" she asked holding her hand up.

Sven's smile widened as he placed his large hand against her tiny one. "Promise," he replied, "but only if you promise to go to sleep."

Grey giggled and nodded before Sven placed another kiss on her forehead. "Good night, Daddy," she said as she watched her father stand up and move to the stairs after blowing out her candle.

"Good night, Grey," Sven said before walking down the stairs.

As soon as Sven moved downstairs, Grey snuggled under her blanket hugging her stuffed dragon close. "Someday…" Grey whispered, "I'm going to be a sword-fighting warrior…just like Daddy."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Annnnnd that's all for this installment, friends! I really hope you all liked it! The next one is a short one! Grey is 6 YEARS OLD and seeks comfort from her parents one night after a nightmare! Don't forget to leave a review and favorite! Thanks, guys!


	7. Age 6: A Midsummer Night's Nightmare

**Author's Note:** Hello, readers! I have returned with the next installment of The 21 Years of Grey Bergman! In this one, Grey is 6 years old and has a nightmare and seeks comfort from her parents one night. This one is a nice fluffy Bergman family oneshot! Hope you all like it!

 **Disclaimer: I only own Grey Bergman, her parents, and other secondary characters. I do NOT own anything related to the** _ **How to Train Your Dragon**_ **franchise.**

* * *

Chapter 7—Age 6: A Midsummer Night's Nightmare (Summer 1030)

 _She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. She was running down a dark tunnel and hearing voices shouting her name. Who were they? She couldn't make them out no matter how hard she tried while running from whatever it was she was running from._

" _Mommy!" she shouted. "Daddy! Where are you?"_

 _No answer. The voices kept shouting…calling for her…but why? And who were they?_

" _Mommy! Daddy!" Suddenly, white exploded all around her…_

* * *

Grey woke up crying and hugging her toy dragon close to her chest. She used too scared and even confused to even fully realize that she was back in her room, so she quickly stood up and practically scrambled out of bed knowing immediately who to look for.

"Mommy! Daddy!" she shouted crying and running down the stairs.

Sven and Ingrid both jolted awake at the sound of their daughter's cries and her little feet coming downstairs. No words were spoken as both the warrior and the healer practically scrambled out of bed and opened the door only to have the 6-year-old run into Sven's legs sobbing.

"Grey, sweetheart, what's the matter?" Sven asked as he bent down and gathered their daughter into his arms.

"I-I had a bad dream!" Grey managed to get out in the midst of her sobs.

"Oh, my little Grey," Ingrid said rubbing the little girl's back. "It's okay, you're safe. It's okay."

"It was so scary, Mommy," Grey replied before letting out a hiccup.

Sven and Ingrid looked at each other with concerned looks. Grey was just like any other child, and of course, she was subject to occasional nightmares just as they were when they were children. However, it still broke their hearts to see their daughter so distraught and so upset.

"I know, sweetie," Ingrid replied with a warm sympathetic smile on her face. "Why don't you stay with us tonight?"

Grey perked over her father's shoulder as tears streamed down her face at her mother's suggestion. "Can I?" she asked meekly.

"Of course you can, little Valkyrie," Sven replied as they took her into their bedroom. "Mommy and Daddy will keep those nasty bad dreams away."

"Okay," Grey said as she wrapped her arms around his neck tighter.

* * *

Grey snuggled under the covers as she watched her parents get back into bed on either side of her keeping her in the middle. It had been a long time since Sven and Ingrid slept with Grey in their bed between them before they figured Grey was old enough to sleep on her own in her own bed. They both silently agreed that it was nice to have their little Grey close to them for one night, especially after a bad dream. Between her father's warm smile and her mother's hand running through Grey's brown hair, she was feeling herself sink back into a deep sleep.

"What was your dream about, Grey?" Ingrid asked once she saw that Grey was calming down.

"I was running in a tunnel," Grey explained curling up under the blanket, "and I was trying to find you guys. And I couldn't, and I heard someone calling my name. It was scary, Mommy."

"It's alright, my little Grey," Ingrid said. "You're in your home with Mommy and Daddy. We would never let anything happen to you."

"Mommy's right," Sven said smiling at his little girl. "You're safe and sound here."

"I believe you guys, Daddy," Grey replied smiling up at Sven feeling sleep wash over her.

"Good, now get some sleep, my little Grey," Ingrid said as they watched Grey slowly fall back to sleep. "Daddy and I will keep the bad dreams away."

With those kind words from her parents, the six-year-old fell back to sleep tucked in safely between her parents.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** And that's all for now, boys and girls! I really hope you all liked it! In the next one, Grey is 7 YEARS OLD and celebrates Snoggletog with her parents. Don't forget to leave a review! Thanks, guys!


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